it is something we need to focus more on as opposed to spending so much energy on the national level. until this recent opposition coalition, which i am quite hopeful about, what we have seen is that legitimacy is being derived from the ground up. the implication of that is for reconciliation and for stability after assad, whatever is after assad will have to decentralize the state. decentralize the state. it is hard to place much hope in these efforts, given how often we have seen attempts fail, and given the situation on the phone. when one thinks about how quickly the sectarian dimension, it is almost a race against time as to whether these efforts can yield anything. is it reflected the broader thinking within the government? the other issue is the russians. there has been a back and forth now for months with russia but there was a hope that some. they would shift -- at some point that would shift. the idea that they may be preparing to graduate the citizens. the russians are saying they will not this about assad. and if they don't this about assad, i think that would make it extr